Tang San and Fa Yan stared in shock at Shen Gang, who lay on the ground in the distance, foaming at the mouth.
The entire area before them had turned shit-yellow.
An indescribable stench spread through the air, twisting both their faces into hideous grimaces.
Shen Gang was now covered from head to toe in an unspeakable, filthy yellow substance. Since he had charged over with his mouth open in a shout, he had inevitably gotten quite a taste of it.
This combined Soul Skill was a killing move that would make even the gods give it a wide berth!
No one would willingly let such filth coat their entire body.
Although its deterrent effect would diminish greatly once someone was already covered in it, this move involved more than shit-it also packed a foul fart with tremendous impact.
Moreover, Grandmaster fed Luo Sanpao special foods that gave the shit certain unusual properties.
For instance, this particular attack contained a paralytic toxin, leaving Shen Gang unable to recover for the time being.
"This... never mind. Grandmaster, I'm truly sorry about what happened today. I'll take Shen Gang back and let Spirit Hall deal with him."
Fa Yan wanted to say something, but in the end, he chose to handle the matter by the book.
"Mm. Deal with it as you see fit."
Grandmaster nodded. He had seen plenty of incidents like this, though people who could remain as calm as Fa Yan were rare.
"Um, Grandmaster, Senior Fa Yan, take a look at this. What is it?"
Fighting back his nausea, Tang San used Blue Silver Grass to retrieve the life force he had sensed from the manure pool.
Holding a green pebble no larger than a grain of rice between his fingertips, Tang San beckoned to Grandmaster.
"Gold of life!" Grandmaster's sharp eyes recognized it at once, though inwardly, he reproached Tang San a little for acting so rashly.
What would they do if Fa Yan grew greedy, just as Shen Gang had?
"To think there really was some." But Fa Yan merely looked a little shocked before smiling at Tang San. "Little fellow, could you give that to me?"
"Spirit Hall will exchange a treasure of roughly equal value for it."
Fa Yan spoke to Tang San with kindness and sincerity, without brushing him off just because he was a child.
Seeing this, Grandmaster could not help feeling a trace of shame.
He had taken too dark a view of the human heart.
There were still decent people like Fa Yan in this world, though he was rather naive and foolish.
"Gold of life is a substance that seizes the very creative power of heaven and earth. Even a piece the size of a grain of rice is enough to transform a Soul Master completely."
"And if you hand it over to Spirit Hall, something might well go wrong along the way, leaving you carrying water in a bamboo basket-all your efforts for nothing."
Grandmaster's words left Fa Yan torn. He, too, wanted to use this gold of life to soar to success, but Grandmaster was right: he might end up with nothing.
The gap between his status and the benefits the gold of life could bring was simply too vast.
"Grandmaster, I know you have extraordinary means. Could you help me find a buyer for this gold of life? I'll reward you for it."
At this, Tang San shook his head. Fa Yan was a decent person, but he was not clever enough. Tang San had not even said he would give it to him yet.
He wanted both the treasure and the connections. That was far too greedy.
It seemed the human heart really could not withstand being put to the test.
Through this little test, Tang San came to understand a few more truths.
As for the gold of life, he might as well give it away. Although it would benefit him immensely, he currently had no way to protect it.
Especially now that others knew about it. Of course, even if he had said nothing just now, Shen Gang or Fa Yan might still have let word slip later.
His fear was that people with ulterior motives would hear a whisper and take it for a storm, then come looking for trouble with him and his teacher.
Tang San and Grandmaster exchanged glances. Grandmaster felt helpless about the situation, but he agreed with Tang San's decision.
"All right, then. I hope you'll keep your word."
Grandmaster then taught Fa Yan how to contact Spirit Hall's higher-ups, specifying exactly whom he should approach and even offering a backup plan.
Fa Yan carefully accepted the grain of gold of life, set it into his Bracelet, and sealed it securely to keep it from getting lost.
After that, they made sure the still-unconscious Shen Gang slept even more soundly, then left the Soul Hunting Forest.
Master and disciple returned to Nuoding City and, acting as though nothing had happened, began focusing on developing the First Soul Skill. Along the way, Tang San returned to Holy Soul Village to visit his family, but he could not find his father. He was not discouraged, however. He knew his father would return once his business was finished.
Afterward, Shen Gang was punished for his sudden attack on Grandmaster. Fa Yan glossed over the reason for the attack, saying he had been jealous of a child obtaining a good Soul Skill.
Not long afterward, Shen Gang was found dead in his home. The cause of death was suicide.
After taking leave, Fa Yan hurried through the night to Spirit City. Following the route Grandmaster had described, he successfully presented the grain of gold of life to Spirit Hall's Pope and received a lavish reward.
Fa Yan was tasked with bringing back the reward for Grandmaster and the others.
By the time they saw Fa Yan again, three months had passed.
Inside Nuoding City's Spirit Hall, Grandmaster brought Tang San to meet the newly arrived Fa Yan.
The last time Tang San had come here was to register as a One-Ring Soul Master.
Fa Yan was waiting in the Reception Room. When Grandmaster and Tang San entered, they found him dressed in much finer clothes than before, and his cultivation had improved as well.
He wore a delighted expression throughout, clearly having gained considerable benefits.
"Grandmaster, little fellow, you truly are my lucky stars."
Upon seeing Grandmaster and Tang San, he stood up excitedly.
"It was only a trifling piece of information. Tell us, what reward have you brought?"
"Hehe, don't be too surprised when I tell you."
Putting on a mysterious air, Fa Yan closed the door, then carefully placed the Storage Soul Tool he had brought on the table.
He was carrying out the Pope's orders, after all, and dared not be negligent.
Grandmaster, by contrast, seemed casual. He picked up the Bracelet and examined its contents.
Tang San saw Grandmaster's brows suddenly jerk upward in shock.
"This really is quite a 'gift'... Fa Yan, did anyone accompany you here?!"
As though something had suddenly occurred to him, Grandmaster immediately pressed Fa Yan for confirmation.
"Oh, yes. Chrysanthemum Douluo came along with me. I was truly honored!"
Fa Yan spoke animatedly about an experience he would never forget for the rest of his life.
It turned out that when Chrysanthemum Douluo, one of Spirit Hall's Criminal Law Elders, learned that Grandmaster's disciple Tang San possessed Blue Silver Grass that could be cultivated, his interest was piqued. Using the escort of this lavish gift as an additional reason, he had accompanied Fa Yan to this remote little town.
Yet Grandmaster showed nothing that could be called joy. His grave expression gradually silenced Fa Yan.
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Tang San asked with concern. He rarely saw such an expression on Grandmaster's face.
"Nothing. Since we've received the payment, let's leave."
"Wait. Why be so distant, Grandmaster?"
Suddenly, a soft, effeminate voice rang out inside the room.
As though he had expected this, Grandmaster could not help letting out a long sigh.
Tang San looked toward the source of the voice. An exceptionally beautiful, orange-haired man had appeared beside the window. If not for the Adam's apple at his throat, Tang San would have mistaken him for a woman.
But what concerned Tang San more was the little girl dangling from the man's left hand. Tang San knew her.
It was Xiao Wu.